An unexpectedly large sunspot region is now crossing the Sun. The active region is home to rivers of hot plasma, explosive flares, strong magnetic fields, a powerful Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), and a sunspot group so large it can be seen by the protected eye without magnification. In fact, this region appears larger than Venus did when it crossed the Sun last month. Pictured above is a close-up of this sunspot group, officially tagged AR 10652, taken just four days ago. The region is now nearing the Sun's eastern limb and will disappear from view in a few days. Energetic ions from sunspot group 652 continue to impact the Earth and create rare purple auroras.

The geomagnetic field is the magnetic field observed in and around the earth. Flares are sudden eruptions of energy on the solar disk lasting minutes to hours from which radiation and particles are emitted. Basically, an increase in activity concerning the geomagnetic field or solar flares means an increase in energy in the atmosphere.

How does this affect spirits? Spirits use energy to materialize, and they typically pull this energy from the basic sources around them, i.e., heat, batteries, power lines, etc. But during heightened solar activity, the energy level is increased, therefore, increasing the amount of usable energy for spirits. The increase in energy allows spirits to manifest easier and more often, which in turn increases the possibility of paranormal activity.

The phases of the moon also dictate paranormal activity. Everyone knows that a full moon brings out the crazies and werewolves. It also brings out the ghosts. Though many have heightened activity during full moon, I personally have seen an increase during new moon. The gravitational pull of the moon apparently moves more than tides, it also attracts spirits.

It doesn't really make fuel. It's burning up its supply of hydrogen. It's got many many many millions of years worth of hydrogen left in it's stockpile, so no need for you to worry.

You would do better to worry about earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or mega-volcano eruptions, meteor or comet strikes in the Pacific ocean, and Hawaii falling into the ocean. Those are all at risk of killing you in your lifetime (although only slight right now).

How do we know it has that much fuel, huh huh???
Has someone actually measured it? What solid proof do we have to compare and contrast with?

I bet it's got a shelf life of like 50,000 years and nobody wants the world to panic.

Another question, what degree of variance in the Earth's orbit around the sun would cause conditions here to be either too cold or too warm to sustain life?
Or would a significant variance nullify our atmosphere anyhow?
Just how fortuitous of an orbit are we in here?

Although you wouldn't even have 8 minutes notice. I think the stuff that will kill you will arrive at the same time as the light.

SP

__________________Whether 'tis nobler in the plane to suffer
The asps and adders of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of bitch-ass motherfuckers
And by opposing fuck them up?
-- Samuel L. Jackson as Hamlet

Humm... he's in Oregan... some parts of Oregan are at risk from semi-active volcanoes AIR... but not much chance of them going off in the next 50 years unless something odd happens. The Mega in Yellowstone though... it's building up again. Which means it will erupt... just how much longer is the only question vulcanologists have about it. And if it's going to cover all the continental US in 4 feet of ash or 4 inches...

We know that the sun has that much fuel because it gives off hydrogen's visual spectrum all over it.

SP

__________________Whether 'tis nobler in the plane to suffer
The asps and adders of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of bitch-ass motherfuckers
And by opposing fuck them up?
-- Samuel L. Jackson as Hamlet

They measure the mass of the sun, BGH. Do some comparisons of its light spectra, study it's magnetic fields, etc etc etc.

They've really studied the heck out of it. They just cannot give you an exact number of millions of years, BGH. So no worries for as long as your family line is recognizable over the Sun going red-giant.

Now, there are some worries it might go a bit hotter or colder. That would change our environment significantly... that, they really don't know about, other then at times, it burns a little hotter and other times, it burns a little colder.

__________________Whether 'tis nobler in the plane to suffer
The asps and adders of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of bitch-ass motherfuckers
And by opposing fuck them up?
-- Samuel L. Jackson as Hamlet

I had a really good bowl of peel and eat shrimp last night that was supposed to be Lousiana-style but was really a very heavily curried dish - kind of a shrimp tandoori. Not what I expected, but very, very good. I should have sprung for the full pound of shrimp instead of the half. Key lime pie for dessert.